Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticized the BJP on Sunday The US has rejected the ruling party’s allegations He said that there are elements of US “Deep State” in trying to destabilize India and this “attack-dog” behavior is shameful for India.
The US on Saturday rejected the BJP’s allegations that the US State Department and elements in the US “deep state” were helping to destabilize India by targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and businessman Gautam Adani.
A US embassy spokesman described the allegations as “disappointing” and claimed the US government is a champion of media freedom around the world.
The BJP on Thursday alleged that the US deep state has collaborated with media portal OCCRP (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to “damage” India’s image.
In a post on X, Tharoor said, “It is clear that the BJP understands neither democracy nor diplomacy. They are so blinded by petty politics that they forget the value of a free press and vibrant independent civil society organizations in a democracy and of a ruling party maintaining good relations with major foreign countries. They are oblivious to their responsibilities.” “This aggressive behavior of dogs is shameful for India,” said the former Minister of State for External Affairs.
The BJP used the Gandhi report by the OCCRP to attack the Adani Group and accuse it of being close to the government.
“It is disappointing that India’s ruling party would make such allegations,” a US embassy spokesman said.
It is clear that BJP neither understands democracy nor diplomacy. They are so blinded by petty politics that they forget the value of a free press and vibrant independent civil society organizations in a democracy, and they are oblivious to the responsibilities of the ruling party… https://t.co/wCX2wh8Dah
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 8, 2024
“The US government works with independent organizations on programming that supports professional development and capacity-building training for journalists. This program does not affect the editorial decisions or direction of these organizations,” the official said.
OCCRP, headquartered in Amsterdam, is a media platform that focuses largely on stories related to crime and corruption.
The BJP cited a French media report which revealed that the OCCRP was funded by the US State Department’s USAID along with other “deep state figures” like George Soros and the Rockefeller Foundation.
“The United States has long been a champion of media freedom around the world. A free and independent press is an essential part of any democracy, enabling informed and constructive debate and holding those in power accountable,” said a US embassy official.
Last month, US prosecutors accused Gautam Adani, 62, his nephew Sagar and other defendants of paying more than US$250 million in bribes to Indian government officials between 2020 and 2024 to win solar power contracts that could potentially bring in more than US dollars. in profit. The Adani Group dismissed the allegations as “baseless”.
The opposition Congress demanded a thorough investigation into the allegations and accused the government of harassing businessmen.
In an unprecedented criticism of the US State Department, the BJP said on Thursday, “French investigative media group Mediapart revealed that OCCRP is funded by the US State Department’s USAID, as well as other deep state figures like George Soros and the Rockefeller Foundation.” “In fact, 50% of OCCRP’s funding comes directly from the US State Department. OCCRP, therefore, functions as a media tool to serve deep state agendas,” the party said in a series of posts on X.